The evening
breeze continues to fuss around the valley slopes once more.

Upon the
hillside that nature has covered green,

Man’s greed
for coal had tipped ten thousand tons of scree,

Black dust
and spoil washed by nature’s downpour,

Taking the
souls of children, by their Parents, to be seen no more.

And yet the
mountainside of latent death

Hovered,
waiting Nature’s sluice to place the wreath

But this was
known by Miners, memories had faded

Still the
risks were taken, as wealth into the coffers cascaded.

Three score
plus of Souls at their desks blameless

Worthless
spoil built up an unknown stress.

Miss Williams
led the two times table, shudders felt,

No more than
that, a thousand tons of spoil began to melt.

It formed a
fluid lake of death up by the farm, and on towards the school

The black
tide raced, the gigantic pool

Swept on up
its way until it burst through

The school’s
rear doors and windows as its violence grew.

The
children’s hats and coats were carried on into the room

Miss Williams
was up to ten times two as death came all too soon.

Man’s greed
flooded their innocent world to end their dreams.

There was no
time for action to answer their plaintive screams.

The rumbling
roar disturbed the hillside’s silence.

The tiny
graves today make no such penance,

But men’s
greed risks their fellows’ life and limb

To desecrate
for gold our Nature’s gifts from Him.

When Nature
does rebel and spew forth dust

For airlines
to be grounded, and money lost

It’s only
then that Bankers selfishly complain

And realise
that their gold must risk no further pain.

Hillsides
around the world are stripped,

To mine and
take from Earth its precious stores.

Then comes
the rain to sweep away townships

We do not
learn whilst Death extends its claws.

In these days
of computers and the net

We watch the
timeworn efforts to resist the greed and yet

The seventh
sin so deadly and mortal man

Always falls
into the pit, remember Aberfan.

Heather Murray used to lead the community choir Merthyr Aloud. This has now been taken over by Tanya Walker – it is open to everyone. It rehearses at the Zoar (Soar) Chapel in Merthyr
Tydfil on Fridays, 10.30 -12.30.﻿﻿ This is located in the Pontmorlais area, towards the northern end of the High Street (CF47 8UB). Contact Tanya by email: tanyawalker@music.com

A Poem by Hollie Davies - aged 25 years - 2016

They walked to school,

As every day.

Mist upon the Valley,

Followed clouds of grey.

Greeted by their teachers,

Every boy and girl.

Their lives around the corner,

Just their little world.

The miners on the hillside

A man-made mountain hall.

They only had an hour,

After their first call.

They didn't see it coming,

Only heard the thunder roar.

Everyone felt the earthquake.

All fell to the floor.

The men all raced to help them

from all around.

They crawled about in darkness

of the school playground.

We all feel the losses,

We all share the pain,

We will all remember

The day the ashes came.

The world is not as cold

as it was back then.

But in the heart of all of Wales

We will remember them.

The girls and boys who went to school,

Most smiling, all following their mam.

The village always feels them near,

The Village,

Aberfan.

OTHER SONGS - by Paul Child - The Price of Coal, and Raymond Crooke - The Aberfan Coal Tip Tragedy (words and music by Thom Parrott)